China’s Huaying LNG import terminal launched

The 2017-built 174,100-cbm, Cesi Beihai, has delivered the first commercial LNG shipment to the facility from Australia on September 8.

Cesi Beihai’s AIS data provided by VesselsValue shows that the LNG carrier brought the shipment from the APLNG terminal on Curtis Island near Gladstone, where Sinopec is a shareholder.

Sinopec said in a statement the vessel delivered 72,000 tonnes of LNG to the terminal.

The arrival and unloading of the first commercial shipment at the Huaying LNG receiving terminal marks the official launch of Sinopec’s first LNG project in Guangdong province, it said.

Privately-owned Huaying Natural Gas and China’s state-controlled energy giant Sinopec each own 50 percent in the LNG import terminal with a capacity of 6 mtpa.

In May, LNG Prime reported that the two firms were nearing the launch of their LNG import terminal in the port city of Chaozhou.

Sinopec said the LNG terminal project includes two phases.

The first phase of the project consists of three 200,000 cbm LNG storage tanks, one jetty and related facilities, with an annual capacity of 6 mtpa.

When the second phase of the project is completed and put into operation in the future, the capacity of Huaying LNG receiving terminal will rise to 12 mtpa, becoming the largest natural gas reserve and supply base in Guangdong province, Sinopec said.

The firm did not provide more information regarding the second phase.

Up to date, Sinopec has built by itself on in partnerships a total of 12 LNG receiving terminals.

These LNG terminals have handled more than 110 million tonnes of LNG, Sinopec said.